Misplaced In Thine Reality
by kataang21
Summary: One hundred years after the Avatar's disappearance, Azula is conflicted with who she is and seeks to find herself in a world greater than the Southern Water Tribe. One hundred years after Sozin's Comet, Fire Nation Prince Sokka sets off to find and capture the Avatar in hope to prove his worth to his father and his nation. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclamer: Nope**

* * *

~Book 0ne: The Beginning (Water)~

~Chapter One: Same But Different Paths~

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The young Fire Prince walked around the perimeters of his home attempting to overlooking the hateful, judgmental glares of his ancestors. He roamed down the long hallways, as if he were running from something. The funny thing, though, was that he was uncertain whom he was running from, hiding in the least known corners of the Palace's inner walls. Perhaps from his Father's disapproval, his Mother's fake loving smiles, or even from himself and his own disgrace?

He was a disgraceful, considered to be less worthy and at all times overlooked and neglected, and it was only so because he was...different. It was not his fault. If anything, it was his Father's fault for impregnating his wife with such a shameful disgrace of a child. It was his Mother's fault for bringing such a failure, such a waste of air, into the world.

He cannot be blamed for the way he turned out to be. His destiny was out of his hands, impossible for him to control, yet they were all displeased with him, for as far he could set the strings of his memory. Never mind his countless tries to please his Father or gain more than his Mother's false affection; never mind his dread of failure in trying to do so. Above all, though, he still held his undying and unrequited love for both of his parents, even when it seemed they'd rather he was gone. So he started seeing truth in the judgmental painted looks he was given dayly.

He truly was unworthy of his place on the throne. He truly was unworthy of his Father's love and approval, for he had nothing to show for it. He was just...ordinary. He was not the prodigy his sister revealed herself to be nor was he the son his Father had hoped to raise, the Prince he was desired to be. His sister, Father and all those honored ancestors brought doubt of his abilities and of his validity to his own family every day. Even with his Uncle's kinder words he had let them implant a seed of fear into his mind, which over time blossomed into wrongly earned self-loathing and dejection. But he would not be discarded, passed over like his Uncle had done. He would not be walked on and ashamed of whom he was. He was the Fire Prince. He was the rightful heir to his Father's throne. And he would come to his own, in due time. He was proud enough to call upon himself the task of proving his own worthiness. He was Sokka, crowned Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to Fire Lord Ozai's throne, and he knew he would come to claim it as his own.

**xxXXxx**

She waddled through the ankle-deep snow that surrounded her from all sides. She tried to keep herself at a steady pace but was unable to do so when new icy crystals of snow started falling down on her, making it that much harder to keep up with her brother, who was already way ahead of her. She tried to run, tried to call for him but all her efforts were met by only the cold, ear-wrecking wind that carried her voice into the distance. The little girl started to fear that she was going to get lost in the snow. As if he read her thoughts, or heard her in another way, her brother appeared on the horizon and rushed to her side, grabbing her hand with an expression of annoyance on his face.

"Would you stop stalling? You're slowing me down." His breath was cold near her

"Sorry." She uttered, ashamed and insulted but unwilling to let those emotions show on her face. Her brother turned around without another word and continued walking ahead. She was always wrong in his eyes. But she knew better than to believe that was true.

The truth was; he was unspeakably jealous of her and took any chance he got to put her down, to prove himself better than her. It was a waste of time, really, because he was not better than he desperately wanted their Dad to approve of him, to be proud of him, completely unaware that was already true. Dad loved him just as much as her, no more or less. After the loss of their Mom they were all that he had left, and he cherished them both.

Zuko was just an attention addict, but he was not ungrateful. Even though his sister was younger, she was a much better bender than he was; one might even say she was an exceptional bender, that she was a prodigy. Such compliments made her Dad and grandmother extremely proud, but they never once neglected her brother or denied him anything because of his lack of talent.

Even so, Zuko always managed to find a reason for jealousy, and when it would peak, he would burst out at her. She never paid much attention to her brother's episodes of envy; however, she had no strength for such things after a day spent in resentment toward her Dad and grandmother.

"It's too dangerous, Azula. Plus, the trip there would cost more than we can afford to spend. You two are just going to have to come up with a way to teach yourselves." was often the response every time she summoned the courage to ask him to try and find her and Zuko a waterbending instructor. Unlike herself, Zuko had no problems with not having a teacher. With his lack of skill and determination in competition with her own perfectionism and talent, he knew he would just be shadowed by her yet again. But it was not enough for Azula. She knew she had potential to one day become a master. She knew she was destined for greater things than rotting in the South Pole for the rest of her life. But what could she do? This is where she belonged.

**xxXXxx**

Ozai was seemingly distracted even as he was fully aware of his surroundings , including his brother silently walking behind him. Bringing to mind the way Iroh had shadowed him since returning home from Ba Sing Se, since he had lost out of being their father's heir.

He was Fire Lord now, had always been meant to be in this place and had made sure his convictions became truth. The plan to overthrow his father, Fire Lord Azulon, was without flaw; every second thoroughly planned and played out.

It was perfection.

Having now held the throne in the years following Azulon's death, Ozai had no intention in letting Iroh strip him of his rights. But the old man was seemingly always around, watching and undermining him at every turn. Being passed over for the throne had done little to diminish the influence General Iroh held at Court. Though nothing could be proved, his brother was sly and Ozai often found himself wandering about Iroh's agenda. Often found himself considering the thought that the old man wanted to overthrow him and claim his title. It had been clear for some time that he had to remove his elder brother and he had to do it in silence, in a way that no one would notice.

The Dragon of the West was still well beloved.

"You can stop sneaking behind me, Iroh, I know you're there." Ozai stopped and affected a distracted look out the window. Iroh stepped beside him; the older firebender's hands were clasped behind his large waist.

"I did not intend to spy on you, Ozai." Iroh assured his brother, who raised an irritated brow.

He had no desire for needless chatting, preferring to strike the point immediately. "Iroh, I am aware that you and I have never really been able to find a common language." He looked at his brother. "Sadly, we still haven't. Things between us have never truly been affable, but I wish for us to part as friends; as brothers.

Iroh seemed to be confused by the Fire Lord's statement. "Part? Are you leaving, my brother?"

Ozai let out a small laugh. "Oh, on the contrary. You are leaving, brother." He snorted. "I wonder what the people of our glorious Nation, your people, would say when they learn their dearest general, the Dragon of the West who retreated from Ba Sing Se after breaking their Wall, has turned down his Lord's generous offer to regain his honor and respect." Ozai glanced at the slightly wrinkled man.

"What offer, Ozai?"

"Why, to send you on an honorable quest to find the Fire Nation's greatest threat."

"The Avatar?" Iroh exclaimed in surprise. "Ozai, you have tried to find him before, our father and grandfather before that. You know he is impossible to find." The firebender looked away. "A hundred years, he is probably dead."

"This is not the attitude I'd expect from such a respected general, Iroh." Ozai crossed his arms over his wide chest.

"I do not wish to accept an impossible mission, Ozai. I will not." Iroh said stubbornly, causing Ozai to frown in noticeable displeasure.

"Brother," he hissed. "You speak as if you had a choice." He then turned and walked away, leaving Iroh standing at the window watching his brother disappear into the shadowed halls.

**xxXXxx**

Being the Prince was not easy. He knew that very well and yet, every time he thought about what his life would be like if he were not the Fire Prince, he could not imagine himself in another place. Whether he liked it or not, this was his home. And now that he knew what had been going on within his Nation, now that he was aware of his Father's actions and beliefs, now that he knew, he was unable to just stand by and watch injustice come to happen. But what could he possibly do? He could not speak against his Father; he was Fire Lord, after all.

So, in the end, all Sokka was able to do, reluctantly, was exactly what he wanted least; stand by and watch as his Father betrayed the people of his own Nation, thereby feeling like an unworthy traitor himself. It was believed he was too young to understand the misery of war, but he was not too young to want to love and defend his Nation. He needed to put this to an end.

He tried to rehearse exactly what he was going to say and how he was going to say it as he walked towards his Father's quarters. He was nervous, scared even, but determined to speak his mind and fight for what he saw as right; what he knew was right. He stopped suddenly, as if pushed back by a force much stronger than himself. He inhaled a deep, shivering breath as he looked to the enormous double doors that led to Ozai. The young boy slowly approached and requested an immediate audience with his Father, but those guarding the door simply ignored him.

"Let me in," he demanded, "I need to speak to my Father."

"My Prince, I apologize, but the Fire Lord wishes not to be disturbed." It was a derisive tone, like it didn't really matter who he was.

"But I'm his son." Sokka tried to reason with the man. "And this is of great importance. It concerns not only me, but the entire Fire Nation." The guards tried not to snicker at his request, but slight smiles of mockery appeared on their faces. Sokka noticed it but tried to ignore them. "I'm telling you one more time; let me in." He barked. "I may not be the Fire Lord but I am the Prince, therefore I could have my Father banish you for disobeying me and ignoring my authority." Both guards took deep breaths, unsure of what to do next. They were either to disobey the Prince, and face a minor penalty, or they were to disobey the Fire Lord and face the more severe consequences of that. "Sorry, but we can't let you in," one of them decided. "Fire Lord Ozai demanded not to be disturbed." Sokka wanted to protest, but saw no use in it and turned to walk away. He was simply going to have to find another way to stop this wrong doing from coming about.

As he walked back toward his room, he noticed a shadow moving alongside him. Sokka quickly turned to prevent being caught by surprise and faced...his Father.

"Prince Sokka," Ozai started, "what brings you here?"

Sokka swallowed with hard before answering. "I...wanted to speak to you...Father."

Ozai raised a questioning eye brow. "Really? What might you wish to speak to me about?"

"Well, uh, it's about your plan to... you know about what you were talking about in the War room." Ozai shook his head slowly, looking down both sides of the hallway.

"Why don't we take this conversation somewhere a little more...private?" He then turned, obviously expecting his son to follow. After a few moments of walking deeper into private hallways, the Fire Lord and his son entered a large room in which Sokka had never been before. The Prince didn't pay much attention to his surroundings; rather he turned his full attention toward his Father.

"So, what is so important about that meeting that you needed to speak to me?" The fire bender questioned as he turned to face the younger boy.

"Well, Father, as I said before; I wanted to talk to you about your plan to send an entire division into certain death." Ozai was impressed with his son's boldness. He didn't expect to be confronted by him in such a daring manner, yet he let him speak. "I...I don't think you should do it. You would be betraying your Nation. Please." The man raised a frustrated brow.

"And what do you suggest we do, then?" He huffed. "Do you expect me to miss an opportunity such as this? I don't care about some worthless new recruits! I care about what is beyond that; the Fire Nation's best interest!"

"I understand." The boy whispered, discouraged. "But..." he continued hesitantly, his tiny voice trembling with fear, "I do have a proposal for you. One that I think you will want to consider. The Prince's father had no interest in considering something he suggested, but he had to admit his young heir had successfully gained his attention.

"Go on."

"I want you to know that by saying this I only have the Fire Nation's best interest at heart." The Prince started off. He was scared, but determined to go through with his idea. "And you will find, as I have, that this quest of mine will be in everyone's best interest."

"Stop wasting my time, boy!" Ozai snapped. "Get to the point already!"

"I am not sure if you know this; but I'm aware that you... aren't fond of me, to say the least." The fire bender's brow raised in surprise. "I realize that I'm not the son you wanted, and I have come to terms with the fact that I probably never will be. But, disregarding your opinion of me or my opinion of you, I am still the Fire Prince and I love my Nation. So," He was ready for an outburst by this point and surprised himself with the level of calm he had successfully maintained. "I believe we are both aware that you wanted to get rid of me the minute you learned I was not a bender. So here's your chance: Father, I humbly ask of you to allow me to go on a hunting trip." Ozai regarded his son; the son who was too clever and cunning for his age, most likely more than many adults, and who surely had some kind of motive.

"A hunting trip?" His face was blunt and his voice reflected it. The Prince nodded, a mischievous smile spread across his youthful features; as if he'd outsmarted a master of deception.

"Yes, to find the Avatar." Ozai was not sure whether to burst out into laughter or to smack him across the face.

"You want to find the Avatar?" He blurted. "Are you even aware of how idiotic you sound, child? Your great-grandfather, grandfather and I have all wasted precious years trying to hunt down that miserable coward just to be forced to make peace with failure! And you... you want to do what great Fire Lords were unable to achieve?" He yelled in shock.

Sokka raised his hands in front of himself, "Now hold on," he requested. "I never said I actually think I would be able to do it." He stated. He did, however, yearn for his Father's love and approval even with spending most of his life in the awareness that he was not good enough. Pushed to the point of being desperate to please him, even with what seemed to be an impossible task. "I said I would go 'on a hunting trip'. Don't you see? This works perfectly for everyone. You get to get rid of me, and I get to get away from you." He explained. "And, say by some miracle, I really succeed in finding the Avatar, and by that same miracle, bring him home to you; it would look good for the both of us. I would prove you wrong, I would prove myself worthy of my heritage and you..." he stopped briefly, somewhat afraid to speak the following words. "You would finally be proud of me."

Ozai glared at his son, silently considering the boy's proposal.

"I would, of course, need a crew and shipif possible."

To which Ozai nodded slowly. "Of course."

Sokka smiled slyly. "So? Do we have a deal?" He extended his hand.

Ozai took a moment to think. This was truly a remarkable opportunity. A win-win situation, as Sokka pointed out. He knew there would be no unpleasant questions. After all who would question the honor and loyalty of a young man willingly placing upon himself such an impossible task? And it would look good for him that his son is willing to live up to his ancestors' legacy, willing to show his love and respect for his Nation, and is ready to make sacrifices for its people. There was the added benefit of getting rid of the boy, possibly for good. If Sokka were to die at sea performing this mission, he'd die a hero.

Ozai couldn't help but think how neatly this solved his current problem. The Fire Lord realized that this was the perfect opportunity to get rid of yet another unwanted factor, his son. He knew for a fact that his brother loved Sokka like his own, especially since Lu Ten's death. Iroh would not refuse a chance to protect the boy on a mission away from home, even as minor and foolproof as this one appeared to be. This was what he had been waiting for; he would sent them both away, get rid of them.

Ozai took his son's hand and shook it.

In that moment Sokka truly felt his life had a greater meaning, and he decided to look at his journey as a way to find it; to find himself. But in the end, he was not afraid to die for his beliefs even with knowing that no one would care to tell the story of his life, no one would remember his last goodbye.

**xxXXxx**

**Two years later**

As soon as she entered her teenage years Azula found herself resenting her Daddy for everything. She blamed him for not assuring her that it was not her fault her Mom had died, and blamed him for not saving her. She resented him for refusing to find her a master. She condemned him for leaving to war while she remained here in the South Pole, hundreds of miles away from him; away from freedom. But, at the same time, she hated feeling like this.

She hated hating her Daddy. She hated the inability to forgive. But the hate was there, and it could not be lessened, much less erased or forgotten. Nor did she want to forget; the hate was her drive. It gave her strength. It gave her the will to always do better in the hope that one day the hating would cease completely.

But right then, she knew what she had to do and couldn't be bothered thinking about the past. She folded her sleeping bag in her arms and walked out of her tent into the light of the outside world. She walked slowly; waddling through the snow, processing what she was doing and trying to come up with a decent plan. Before long, she made it out of the tiny village but luck did not accompany her after that.

"What are you doing here?" Her brother came into view as he jumped off his watch tower, located just outside the entrance into the village. The girl put a gloved hand across her heart, waiting for it to calm.

"Geez, you scared me." Her brother raised a brow. "I was just going for a morning stroll."

"With a sleeping bag?" Zuko pointed at the object in her hands. "And food?" Azula rolled her eyes.

"This is a blanket, dumb-dumb." She said. "And the food is in case I get hungry."

"Azula." Surprisingly, that was enough to break her. She groaned in annoyance.

"I'm going to the North Pole to find myself a teacher. And you should be going, too." She said. Zuko was uncertain if he should burst into laughter or start yelling at her for being stupid.

"The North Pole!" he mocked, "How, by the Spirits, are you planning to get there? Are you going to swim?"

Azula crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "I haven't thought that far ahead. But I would think you know me better than to assume I wasn't capable of this." She sounded offended. It was now Zuko's turn to roll eyes.

"Of course I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, but this too stupid!" He exclaimed. "You can't be serious about this! Why? Why would you even want to go?" He let his hands fall.

"Because, I want to learn, I want to improve my skill. I want to become a master." His sister shot back. "And if you and Dad and Gran-Gran are too blind to see it, fine. I'll just go on my own." She then turned from him and started walking away from the village.

Zuko knew that once his baby sister set her mind on something, there was no stopping her. "Azula wait!" He called but when she completely ignored him he ran after her. "Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"

"Not much, no." She didn't stop walking. Zuko sighed in defeat.

"Are you seriously asking me to leave Gran-Gran all alone?" Azula stopped and raised a brow at her brother.

"I didn't ask. I said you should come with me." He didn't respond and Azula's brow went further up. "You do realize you're a water bender, don't you?"

"Of course I do. But I don't feel right leaving our oh so very old grandmother alone." Azula waved her hand in the air.

"Oh she'll be fine. And she won't be alone, it's not like everybody is leaving." She bumped him in the shoulder. "It's just you and me, brother."

"Great." Zuko muttered. But, as expected, he accompanied his sister on her journey. And, after returning to grab another sleeping bag from the tent and some more food, they left the village and replaced it with the iciness of the unknown world ahead.

"You do realize we're probably just going to die of starvation or frostbite?" Zuko pointed out once the safety of their village was already out if their sight. Azula considered the thought but decided to throw the unnecessary worries aside.

"We'll be fine. We're together." She said. Zuko looked down at her before wrapping his arms around her.

"Yeah, we're doomed."

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**A/N: Jay you, you've read the first chapter. Now go on and drop a review or a fav or follow and let me know what you think :)**

**This idea isn't mine, I got it from daveshan. thank you for letting me write this, I hope it was worth it. **


	2. Chapter 2

~Book One: The Beginning (Water) ~

~Chapter Two: And the Journey Begins (The Boy In the Iceberg) ~

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Zuko was certain he and his sister were headed into certain death; and it was entirely his fault. It started with Azula shivering from the bitter cold. She was wrong, they were lost and he should have guessed that she would be too proud to admit it. They were too far from home to think of returning and Zuko feared they would not last much longer in the cold.

Yet they continued ahead, Zuko determined to find shelter and Azula determined to find an adventure. As the hours passed and the sun burned their skin and eyes through unbearable cold, Zuko came to realize there was no shelter to be found. There was nothing but blanked fields of pristine white behind them and unforgiving coast line around them. No one could hear them, no one would save them. Just as the young warrior felt the piercing wind shatter the last ray of hope he had left, he heard an unmistakable sound. The ice beneath their feet was cracking. Azula started running ahead as fast as her feet would carry her. She didn't look to see if her brother was behind her, but Zuko followed nonetheless. It was hard to run in the shifting snow, their thick lifesaving clothing making it that much harder to move, but the sharp cracking sound beneath their feet drove them further ahead.

"Zuko!" He heard his sister scream as the ice beneath her feet gave one last violent lurch, sending her sliding towards the salt water below. He summoned all of his strength as he dove toward her, reaching Azula's side and desperately grabbing her hands just in time to save her from a frozen death. He wanted to comfort her, tell her to hold on to him, but the weight of her body was too much, the ice was too slick and the cold air burned his lungs as sweat froze on his skin. Gasping for air Zuko directed all of his strength into pulling his struggling sister up. It took them a few moments, seconds that felt like hours, but Azula was in the safety of his arms at last with solid ice beneath them both. They were still in the middle of a frozen nowhere, lost, with nowhere safe to go. Zuko exhaled a frustrated half sigh half groan and threw his head back against the snow, before trying to stand up.

"I knew it!" He waved his hands in a desperate motion. "I knew I shouldn't have come along! Or let you go, for that matter!" He was shaking from anger or fear, he wasn't sure which one. "Leave it to a girl to screw things up."

Azula stood and crossed her arms. "You're blaming me?!" She screamed, ignoring the dangerously unstable ice they stood upon.

"Of course I'm blaming you!" Zuko hissed back angrily. "This was your idea. You made this mess."

Azula opened her mouth just to snap it shut again. She was aware that it was her fault but she wasn't going to let "Zu Zu the mighty hunter" shove it in her face. "Would you relax? I'm sure we'll figure something out." She was as calm as ever, as if she was in Gran-Gran's hut and not hanging above the ocean's unforgiving waters.

"Like what?!" Zuko exclaimed mentally on the edge. His eyes were scared, angry and lost ina way Azula couldn't understand. "We are miles from home, lost!" He then looked around himself in panic, taking in the true horror of their predicament. "On a block of ice! What are we going to do when this thing melts?" Azula shrugged nonchalantly.

"Swim our way to freedom?" Her brother shot her a venomous look. "It isn't going to melt. We're still in the South Pole, Zu Zu."

"So? It's not like the ice can't melt or crack here. It can." He stated gruffly. Azula stood awkwardly in front of her brother.

"So...we'll die of starvation or freeze to death before we drown, big deal." She concluded in an all-knowing voice. Zuko tossed her a bluntly irritated look, opening his mouth to make his opinion of the so called 'big deal' known. Yet before he could make his choice remarks, the ice block beneath them started to quake once more. Its shaking threw both siblings off their feet, but Zuko managed to crawl over to his little sister and put a protective arm around her tense shoulders while gripping a chip in the ice. Azula shut her eyes and waited for their inevitable deaths, a death that didn't come. As suddenly as it started the sporadic shaking stopped and a ring of unnaturally calm water spread out from their ice burg. Azula found the courage and strength to open her eyes and weakly lift her head. When she did, she wanted to shut them all over again. In front of her, in the middle of the ocean, there was a sphere of ice easily larger than the largest igloo in her village. The sphere shined unleashing a blinding bolt of light that raced to the top of the clouds above. Large chunks of ice were spreading away from the light, creating a bridge to the now split iceberg. A bridge neither water tribe member wanted to go across. Azula quickly stood and watched in amazement as a pair of glowing eyes opened and stared out at her. It was impossible.

"There's a...boy in that iceberg?" She meant for it to be a rather dumbfounded statement but it came out as a question. "Come on." Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed her brother's machete from his parka and rushed over to the glowing boy, taking the exact same ice path she told herself she wouldn't take.

"Azula! Stop!" Zuko, naturally, was right behind her. He caught up to her quickly enough and grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Stop! We don't know what that thing is!" he yelled, but to no avail. She ignored him completely.

"Aren't you the least bit curious?" She glanced at her brother over her shoulder before pulling her hood up, dark eyes narrowing.

"No."

Azula continued to smack the snow, using both her hands and Zuko's machete. Suddenly, as she raised her hands above her head and readied herself to strike again, a vigorous blast of wind unraveled her braid. Azula could only watch as the impossible unfolded in front of her eyes; the ice shattered apart with the wind's force scattering around her feet. The boy remained standing on the snow mountain, seemingly immune to whatever blows the mighty storm winds delivered. He stood motionless, staring through her and her brother as if they weren't there. As Zuko's words began to echo in Azula's ears the bright glow emanating from his eyes ceased and the strange boy collapsed. The two siblings were not quick enough to catch him, not that they were very fond of the idea in the first place. They stared at the little boy lying in the snow, then back at one another, and so forth. Even without the glow and winds surrounding him the boy was strange to their eyes, his clothes were too light, his head was shaved and no Water Tribe child would be tattooed in such a way. Azula could not bring herself to look away from the boy, but at the same time she could not stand to gaze upon him. Finally she decided to step forward and check. Check what she didn't know, alive? Well? Human?

"Azula." Zuko cautioned. The look in his eyes clearly said don't and a dozen other not so vague warnings, but, as always, she didn't listen. She walked over to the boy and crouched beside him so she could get a better look. His tattoos were larger than she had thought; his yellow and orange outfit was unnaturally smooth like no hide she had seen before. She shook his shoulders gently, yet he didn't show any sign of life but the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

"Do you think he's-?"

"What the hell is that?!" Azula stared up at her brother. She could not see what he was talking about, but from the sound of his voice she could tell he was more than a little upset by something. "There's a giant, furry monster here!" The boy yelled.

Azula decided to go check on her brother, but before she could do so, the boy made a movement beneath her hands and when she turned to look at him she found a pair of grey eyes watching her intently. Azula raised a brow. "Hello...glowing boy?" The boy was clearly making an effort to speak, opening and closing his mouth slowly.

"Please..." he managed to utter quietly, "come closer." Azula had to stop and wonder how smart it would be if she were to humor him and come closer. Could he be a threat? After a moment, she figured he wasn't a threat to her. "I need...to ask you something..." Azula stared at him, raising an eyebrow in distrust, slowly closing the distance between them.

"What is it?" She was irritated and curious at the same time. Suddenly, the tattooed boy split his thin lips into a wide smile and raised his brows a little.

"Will you go penguin sledding with me?" He asked cheerfully. The Water Tribe girl gave him yet another blunt look.

"No." She sneered. The oddly dressed boy seemed slightly offended by her statement, but took no pleasure in showing it. Instead, he swiftly launched himself up off the ground and gracefully landed on his feet. He took a look around as if he were searching for something that should have been obvious. Feeling intrigued, Azula followed him when he started climbing up the snow. He led her to the place where Zuko was holding up his spare knife threateningly, warding off the giant, fluffy beast. Azula had to refrain herself from laughing at the scene.

"Azula, don't get near." Zuko warned her at once. The bald boy ran toward the giant fluffy beast and for a moment Azula thought he was going to attack it bare handed.

"Appa!" He happily exclaimed. "Hey buddy, are you okay?" The beast licked him with its enormous tongue.

"It figures," Azula muttered under her breath. The Waterbenders watched in confusion as the scene before them played out. The boy leaped clear over the white fuzzy beast settling himself on its head before looking at them in anticipation.

"So, who are you two?" He asked a cheerful smile still on his face while looking around. "And what are you doing here?" He asked while scratching his bald head.

"We could ask you the same thing!" Zuko snapped. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He managed to grab his machete from his sister's hands and pointed it at the boy while Azula rolled her eyes at them both. The strange boy scratched his head again.

"I'm Aang." He said. "And...uh, I think I'm lost."

"Oh that's nice." Azula mocked wryly. "Seems like this is the place where the lost find each other." She snorted irritably. Zuko stepped between her and Aang a calculating gleam in his eyes.

"You guys are lost too? That's great!" He exclaimed. The tanned girl rolled her eyes once more and pointed her finger at her head.

"How is that great?" The Water Tribe warrior wanted to know.

"Uh...at least we're not alone." Aang said, clearly confused. "If you guys need a ride, Appa and I can fly you." He patted the beast. "Right, buddy?" In response, Appa wrinkled his giant nose and threw his head back before sneezing. Azula ducked behind Zuko in time to avoid it, but her brother was not as lucky. The water bender turned to see her brother standing with his arms and legs spread apart in a traditional fighting stance, thick looking green mucus hanging from his parka and face. She laughed at the scene. "You disgusting fur covered menace!" Zuko roared. Aang smiled at him, offering no comfort whatsoever.

"Don't worry," he assured the enraged machete wielding Waterbender, "it'll wash out."

"It'd better." Azula heard her brother growl in a low voice as the snow around them hardened with his displeasure.

"We'd love a ride! Thanks!" She exclaimed and was already heading toward the beast and cautiously taking the boy's hand so he could pull her up, carefully hiding where she'd slipped her brothers knife into her parka.

"Azula!" Zuko called as he was still cleaning the thick green mucus off himself. "There is no way I'm getting on that furred menace and riding anywhere! For that matter, neither are you!" He approached the beast hostilely. "Get down from there."

"Come on, Zuzu." His sister taunted him. "Don't be such a baby and be a little more practical. There's no one around, we're in the middle of the ocean! For once in your life don't be stubborn and get on the damn thing." Zuko readied himself to deliver a blistering tirade but couldn't find an argument that he agreed with, his pointing finger was left hanging in the air. He took the final step closer and grudgingly accepted Aang's hand. Azula wanted to question how this thing could fly, especially if it was their way to safety. However, she saw no reason to risk offending Aang just yet.

"So," Aang glanced at the both of them. "Where are you guys headed?" Without hesitation, Azula said:

"The North Pole." Zuko looked nonplussed. _So that was her plan? To go to the Northern Water Tribe?_ _She was really being serious?_He gave her an 'are you crazy' look, but with a skill born from years of practice Azula successfully ignored it.

"Oh? And where are we now?" Aang wondered. Azula smiled mischievously.

"The South Pole, a day north of the Southern Watertribes' largest village." She bragged. Aang looked at her with a raised brow.

"Boy," he breathed, "you guys sure like to travel, huh?" Azula nodded with a smile while Zuko scowled. "Well, if we'll be traveling together to the other side of the world, I sure would like to know your names." Azula puckered her lips.

"I'm... I'm Azula and this is my brother, Zuko." She pointed her head at the boy sitting beside her. Frankly, Azula saw no harm in telling baldy their real names. She did not see him as a threat to her or the tribe and she wasn't planning on sticking around for too long. Zuko glared at her angrily.

"Azula, what are you thinking? He was glowing, in an iceberg. He's probably not even human!" He snarled under his breath. Azula shrugged his worries off.

"So?" She looked at the boy, but he was focused on looking ahead. "There's two of us and one of him." Zuko's frown intensified dramatically.

"Even if we could handle him two on one he has this thing on his side!" He hissed. "We stand no chance."

"It'll be fine." Azula whispered. "Aang?" She said a little louder. Aang looked at her with a friendly smile. "Where are you from?"

"Oh, I came from the Southern Air Temple." The bald boy stated proudly causing Zuko and Azula's eyes to narrow in distrust.

"What the hell were you doing there?" Zuko exclaimed.

"I live there." Aang remarked. "Why are you both looking at me like I'm crazy?" Azula was stunned. Was this boy honestly claiming to be an Airbender? Didn't he know it was impossible at best? A death sentence at worst? Even if it was impossible; she could not hold her tongue back.

"Are you an Airbender?" She blurted out.

"Sure am." Aang smiled watching as Zuku's face became a mask of disbelief and Azula seemed to relish some sort of victory. "What?" He asked.

"_No_." Zuko whispered. Azula couldn't help but smile. The thought of Aang being an airbender was intriguing. "You do realize airbenders are extinct, right?" Zuko stated while scratching his head.

"What?" Aang twisted his eye brows in confusion. "What are you talking about? They're not extinct. I saw Gyatso and the other Monks just a few days ago." The young Airbender claimed.

"That's impossible." Zuko insisted. "The Airbenders were killed off a hundred years ago when the war started." He nodded to himself.

"War? What war?" Aang asked with a touch of panic. As Azula watched on, she started to realize a few things right then; some of her conclusions were still half formed but Azula did not plan to leave any uncertainty in her plans.

"How long were you in that iceberg?" She lifted her head toward Aang. He shifted his thin shoulders in an uncertain shrug.

"I don't know. A few days, maybe." He replied calmly. Azula smiled viciously, realizing she was right, after all.

"Aang, I think it was more like a hundred years." She spoke softly in false dismay. Aang lifted a brow up all the way to his tattoo.

"What? That's impossible." He looked down at himself. "Do I look like a hundred and twelve year old man to you?" Azula shrugged.

"Well, seeing how you don't know about the war, which is nearing its end after a century of devastating the world, and you claim to be living at one of the Air Temples. Which, may I remind you, is where the Airbenders lived before the fire nation wiped them out at the beginning of the afore mentioned war." Azula spoke calmly about it all. Both Zuko and Aang stared at her. "It's the only logical explanation." She stated proudly. Aang stared in shock, not yet able to process what he was hearing and Azula already spoke up again. "Do you think it's possible?"

It seemed to take Aang a moment to realize she was talking to him. "I don't know. I'd hate to think it is." He shivered as his grey eyes swell up with unshed tears. He did not want to imagine his people being wiped out completely by a war he was supposed to stop. If so, it would all be his fault and Aang did not think he could live with the guilt and loss. He still couldn't believe there actually was a war to begin with, but he had to comprehend the fact that it was possible.

"I don't think I believe you're actually an Airbender." Zuko spoke. "I mean, it would mean you're the last Airbender. Wouldn't it?" Aang shrugged.

"Not necessarily." Azula spoke up in a knowing tone. The two boys glanced at her. "For all we know the Airbenders might still be out there, somewhere. They could have fled and lived in hiding all this time." Aang's face lit up with hope.

"Do you really think so?" The boy's face cheered.

"But then again," Azula ignored him and continued talking. "I could be wrong. Maybe you are the last Airbender." She took great pleasure in the sight of Aang's face falling into a deep frown. But before long, his expression turned to one of great eagerness and determination.

"Well," he started, "there's only one way to find out." The Water Tribe siblings exchanged looks before turning their attention to the bald airbender. "We'll go to the Southern Air Temple."

**xxXXxx**

Two years at sea. Two years of freedom. Two years of failure. Sokka gazed upon the sight before him; the ocean, and only the ocean. It was almost all he had seen in the past couple of years. He was troubled by the thought at times, sickened by what he had been reduced to. Then at times he found himself wishing he would never return home. Wishing in vain that he could hold this limited freedom forever. Even in the darkest of night when this search of his seemed hopeless he always found the drive to keep going by the dawn. What he wanted most of all was to prove his worth. So now, even with all the hopeless tries and countless failures, there he was; hoping once more. As the flash of light found its way to the sky and to his sight, only one thought still remained in the Prince's mind; _the Avatar._

"Uncle." He called out to the old firebender and pointed at the light. "Did you see this? Do you realize what this means?" Iroh raised a brow at his young nephew.

"I won't get to finish my game?" Sokka turned toward the now ceased light.

"No." You senile old goat. "It means that our search is about to come to an end. Finally." The master firebender just stared at him blankly. "Aren't you the least bit excited?" He asked but his uncle didn't respond immediately. "Nothing? Not even a happy dance?"

"Prince Sokka, we've been down this road before. I don't want you to get so excited over nothing." The old man finally spoke as he continued his game of Pai Sho. The Fire Prince grunted unhappily.

"I'm not. That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him." Sokka stated with a firm reslove. He then placed his gaze on the horizon, searching for the fading glow. "We have to follow him. Set a course straight ahead. He's an airbender; he'll be in the sky."

"What makes you so sure, nephew?" Iroh looked up at the boy. "He is one hundred years old, after all. He could probably use any of the elements if he so desired. Plus," the old firebender scratched his chin slowly, "he's old. His aged bones wouldn't relish a flight."

Sokka raised a confused brow at his uncle and frowned. "Then what do you suggest we do ,uncle?" Dragonfly of the West. "We have to find him. We'll just have to take our chances and search the sky. If we don't find him above, we'll search the sea. Then we'll look again!" The irritated Prince exclaimed. Uncle raised his hands in front of himself as if to defend against the younger man's anger. Sokka looked up into the sky. He has to be here, somewhere. He took a few steps back as the ship began moving a bit faster. Uncle must have passed on his orders. Sokka smiled with satisfaction.

_Wherever you are, Avatar, I'll find you. Your days in hiding are over._

Suddenly the sky above him turned dark and the Prince looked up to find a large cloud passing over his ship. He stood there and watched as it flew by, uncertain why he didn't simply look away. But it wasn't a cloud. It was... _what was that thing?_

"What is that thing?" Sokka asked aloud, "and why...", but the 'cloud' passed over him heading north against the wind, there were people on it. Sokka's eyes widened as realization washed over his weary mind. "The Avatar." He whispered. "Uncle!" He yelled. "Uncle Iroh!" He ran toward the ship's rail and slamming into it at full speed. What was he going to do? Jump overboard?

"Nephew?" The man rushed by his side. Sokka stared at the sky in sad disbelief.

"The Avatar." He uttered. "He's running away. I found him and he's running away." Sokka uttered in amazement. "I found him and he got away." Uncle hurried inside, leaving the Prince alone with his thoughts. He was so close. Was he ever going to get a chance like this again? Was he ever going to prove himself, gain his Father's love and approval? It could all disappear with that flying beast. Sokka was determined not to let a chance like this slip away from him. He was going to capture the Avatar. Now that he knew for a fact the Avatar was alive, the Fire Prince saw no reason to give up now, no reason to doubt, no reason to hesitate.

"Prince Sokka!" Captain Jee called out. "There he is!" He turned to see the middle aged man pointing to the sky and smiled once more. The Avatar really was there.

"Get him! Go after him!" He shouted and just as the captain and his men readied themselves to turn the sky into a deadly inferno, Sokka stepped in front of them. "Don't shoot them down." He said. "I need the Avatar alive. We should follow him and capture him so I can deliver him to my Father."

"But, Prince Sokka, he's right there. Don't you..." Sokka raised his hand.

"There's no point in killing him. He'll just be reincarnated into the Water Tribe and we'll have to find him all over again." Sokka stated calmly. "It's easier this way to track him." He looked at the captain and then at his uncle. "Follow the Avatar."

"As for the rest of you," he warned, "do not say a word about this, to anyone." He then shot a poisonous look at each and every crew member. "I don't want anyone interfering or trying to stop me from catching that coward. I don't want anyone knowing about this; everyone who finds out will want to catch him themselves and I don't want anyone in my way." The Prince then turned his attention to the horizon once more, a yearning look in his eyes. It was time he caught the Avatar. It was time he proved himself worthy. It was time he returned home.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I wanna thank to all of you who have reviewed and I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reading. :)


	3. Chapter 3

~Book One: The Beginning (Water) ~

~Chapter Three: Up In Flames (The Avatar Returns) ~

* * *

The way that Appa flew over the highest ice capped mountains and endless deep blue ocean spreading beneath them made Azula feel more alive than she had in years. The fact she was finally leaving home was an all-consuming thought in her mind and she loved it.

"So how long do you think it'll take us to get to the North Pole?" She slowly turned to Aang, who was only half awake on the back of Appa's head.

"Um, I'm not sure." He called out to his new friend over his shoulder. "I've never been there before."

Zuko looked up with a frown already forming on his face. "You've never been before?" He echoed with a furrowed brow. "How do you plan to take us there?" The hunter exclaimed before turning his head to Azula. "I knew this was a bad idea!" He dropped his head. "Why do I feel like I'm repeating myself?"

"Well, we'll just continue heading north until we reach some kind of shore." Aang replied with a proud smile. "Even I could figure out that much." Zuko's face went pale, ghostly pale, forcing Azula to make a titanic effort just to keep from laughing. "What?"

"Oh, it's nothing."Azula said while giving Aang a friendly warm smile. A smile that seemed to mean more to him than it was intended to. "Don't worry." She said under her breath, turning to her brother as she became certain the airbender wouldn't hear her. "We'll get there. And if we have to, we'll ditch him somewhere along the way."

"How are you planning to get across the world without a means of transportation?" Zuko leaned in closer to her and the girl gave him a wide smile filled with utter cruelty.

"Who said anything about leaving the beast behind?" She winked at him. Zuko raised a brow in disbelief, stunned with his sister's resurfacing dark side. He always thought she had one, but had never seen it so clearly and, he had to admit, it was a little only where her emotions disguised behind a cold uncarring mask but the sound of her voice as she plotted her plan to leave the airbender to die was dark and low. Filled with a kind of calm murderous intent that was as foreign to Zuko as the Fire Nation soldiers they had flew over earlier.

In that momment it was as if she wouldn't even hasitate in killing the young boy. There was nothing he could do to change her mind. He turned and saw Azula glaring at Aang viciously, sizing up the airbender for the up coming confrentation. Zuko could clearly see her plan playing itself out in front of her eyes.

"I think we should make a stop as soon- " Aang started, but was unable to finish, interrupted by a flying fire ball that passed right over his bald head."Whoa!" He yelled, stearing Appa up and away from the danger below. Zuko crawled to the back of the bison's saddle to get a better view of their attackers.

"We're going to get fried!" He yelled as yet another fire ball flew over. Aang tried to steer Appa as far away from the threat as possible but the sky bison was too slow to escape their persuers. Aang led Appa in uncertain evasive maneauvers around the scene while the fire balls kept comming at them from below. It didn't take long for the determination and experince of the fire benders below to over come Appa's desperate attempts to dodge, leaving the sky bison with a seared leg. Appa groaned in pain and anger as the long hours of flying combined with the shock of his wound made the mighty beast lose ballance, plumeting into the water below , creating a wave that could have easily capsized a small wooden craft.

Unfortunately, the Fire Nation ship was made of hardier materials and they were now surrounded by angry Fire Nation soldiers. There was nowhere to go and, just when they needed him most, Appa was unable to help .

"Damn." Zuko whispered.

**xxXXxx**

"So?" An officer not much older than Zuko, started, "This is the all-mighty Avatar? This is the Fire Nation's greatest threat?" He said, disappointment in his voice. The Avatar? No. It… isn't possible.

"What are you talking about?" Azula snapped at the boy. "Aang isn't the Avatar." Something about the cold, razer-sharp irritation in her voice told her older brother she wasn't surprised. The Fire Nation officer turned to flash a quick, dissatisfied glare at the girl. As he glared Azula compared the young man to the soldiers beside him, he seemed to be the leader, dressed in the finest, most expensive looking armor of the group. More gold was inlaid in his armor than a hundred years of raids had left her village, gold that no other soldier wore. On his hip he wore a simple straight sword, longer than either of her brothers weapons and engraved with the emblem of the Fire Nation.

"Don't speak about things you don't understand, little girl." The gold clad officer barked angrily. "I think I would know a little more about this matter than a Water Tribe peasant like you." Azula's face paled as she reached out to the ocean around her, she was going to strike down this arrogant officer and his crew right then and there. She'd show them that challanging a water bender in the open ocean was a mistake none survived. It was only one look at her brother's terrified face that stilled her hand. The officer looked at the older more expeirenced soldiers as he barked out orders. "Take the Avatar bellow deck," he glanced at Aang's staff resting upon the deck, and then offered the Water Tribe siblings another look, "and take that to my quarters. It will make an excellent trophy for my father. Throw those two into the water."

"What?" Azula screamed as she immediately started struggling against the guards holding her. Zuko's own response was not so violent, but eventually he followed her lead. Aang looked ill as he prepared himself to fight off everyone daring to approach the strongest bender in the world. Still the unnamed officer showed no sign of mercy as his man tried to throw the waterbenders into the cold, deadly water.

"What do we do?" Zuko nervously whispered into Azula's ear, but realized she had no intention of answering him. They both watched as the soldiers circled Aang to take him bellow deck; anger and determination started rising in Zuko's eyes while frustration and fury raged like a tempest in Azula's. Zuko noticed a smug smile as it found its way to his sister's lips. Azula was cunning and at least as smart as Zuko; surely she had some kind of plan. The rage vanished from her eyes to be replaced with tears.

"You can't do this!" Azula shouted at the men. "You can't kill us! We're just kids." Her voice had broken by the end of it as the tears started leaking. Everyone looked at the leader, and watched as his resolve wavered under Azula's manipulations. All the faces surrounding them suddenly turned blank with the expectation of new orders. The teenager made an almost unperceivable grimace at the scene before him.

"Take them all down." He finally sighed. "But don't lock them up together." With those words Aang's stance softened as his eyes relaxed, no longer threatening those around him. The soldiers took his relaxation as an invitation seizing the Avatar's arms with both hands. With all three of them under control they were led down into the hold and for a moment Zuko met his little sister's assuring expression and found himself exhaling in utter relief. Right then Zuko was certain they would make it through. Azula was as devious as she was hasty, however in this situation he would rely on his sister's inclination for head games. Together they would find their way out of this.

"Have you ever fought an airbender?" Zuko heard the echo of Aang's voice in his ears as the masked men led them to separate parts of the ship. He also noticed Azula moving a little slower, trying to stay behind, as they led him down a different hall. The guards weren't restraining her now, preferring to keep the captured girl in the middle of a tight circle of bodies much bigger and, presumably, much stronger than herself. Seemingly unaffected by the scene unfolding before her, Azula merely crossed her arms.

"So are you going to lead me away to rot in the dark corners of your ship as well or am I a special case?" She was presumptuous and didn't seem worried about how she sounded or the consequences of her actions. Sokka arched an amused brow as he brought up the rear, not trusting his back to even a captured enemy.

"You most definitely are a special case." He ground out. "You have a sharp tongue." Azula seemed pleased with his observation, relishing the impact she'd made in such a self important fool of an officer. "That could get you killed." The girl's face fell into a deep, annoyed frown as she daydreamed of freezing his next drink of water to his lips. She did not want to satisfy the overdressed little dictator with an answer, but keeping their mouths shut was never a strong trait amongst the women of her family.

"Oh, and I suppose you're going to do it yourself?" she hissed at him. A smirk of satisfaction appeared on his face as she confirmed that his threat had struck close to home.

"Please," he started, "if I was going to have you killed I'd have simply have you thrown overboard. You're far more useful as a hostage against the Avatar." Azula was surprised but she didn't allow herself to show it. Instead, she deepened her frown a bit.

"Who are you anyway?" She barked suddenly, as if she had just now realized it could be advantageous to know his name. That provoked a flat stare from her opponent.

"As if you don't know who I am." He snarled as though Azula was mocking him. Something in her expression made him realize she was not; he lowered his brow in an exasperated manner. "You really are a peasant, aren't you?" Azula scoffed and crossed both her arms over her thickly-clothed chest yet again.

"You really are full of yourself, aren't you?" She shot back without hesitation. "Look, I don't know what you want from the bald one," she stated coldly, "but my brother and I have nothing to do with it, so you can let us go." The prodigy demanded sharply, determined not to disappear like every water bender born before Zuko.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The officer replied as he leaned in closer to her. Now being near the girl's tan face, he continued, "I don't think I believe you. I think you do have something to do with him. I think you're just a lousy friend, one that runs away as soon as things get complicated." Azula felt her face turn a hot shade of red as anger abruptly arose from deep in her chest.

"You don't know me." She hissed quietly, feeling the ocean beyond the hull call out to her. The boy stood back up, smirking.

"You're right," he confirmed, "I don't know you. So why should I believe you, peasant girl?" He turned, dismissing all the men, leaving them with the unspoken order to take the prisoners away as he left. Azula didn't fight the soldiers; she saw no use. There were simply too many of them, she realized. Even with the ocean outside the ship's hull, she couldn't hope to overcome this many at once. Not as an untrained bender, no matter how talented. So Azula found herself praying to the past Avatars and all the other Spirits she spent her entire childhood hearing about; spirits she didn't believe in.

As the soldiers led her away, she heard a strange faint noise coming from the back of the ship. The men walking behind her seemed undisturbed by the racket, as if it was a part of the ships normal routine. Maybe they just didn't notice. Whatever the case, it was nearing them by the second, increasing its volume from a faint rattle to a deafening roar, they didn't stay oblivious to the sound for long. Azula turned to see a familiar bald head flying towards her, propelled by a spinning ball made from the air itself and she couldn't stop her smile. Aang swiftly flew past them, returning before the soldiers could even turn around. He did not harm the men as Azula expected him to, shattering their bodies against the walls of the , the Avatar did the exact opposite; Aang circled around them on his growing air ball, forcing them to brace against one another to stand amongst the hurricane winds. The airbender then grabbed Azula's hand and, before she could even blink, let alone protest, pulled her on his back.

"You okay?" The boy turned his head for a split second. Azula held on tightly to his back and nodded, not realizing he had no way of seeing her at the time.

"Yeah I'm alright." She replied. "I think they took Zuko this way." Azula pointed down the passageway beside the bender's searched by checking every door, Aang opened yet another door and his youthful face lit up with happiness.

"My staff." He cheered as he ran into the room. Azula followed him worriedly, not wanting to be caught without the powerful airbender.

"Aang, I don't think-" she heard the door close behind her. Both of them turned to see the gold covered officer from before, sword held loosely in his right hand.

"Well, it looks like I underestimated you." The arrogant boy said. "It won't happen again."

"Oh, yeah?" Azula couldn't help but mock him. "What are you going to do? There's two of us and one of you." The officer advanced while Azula stood her ground as Aang slowly spun his staff, confident in the powers of the Avatar behind her to smash the problem in front of her. As he approached them, eyes fixated on the threats before him, he didn't see the effect of Aang's spinning staff until the mattress to their right swept the legs out from under him. Sending soldier and mattress crashing into the wall as his sword fell uselessly to the winds howled as the soldier fought against the mattress only to be pushed against the ceiling seconds later.

"Come on." Aang grabbed Azula's hand and rushed out the door. They ran in no particular direction, not once looking back. Azula couldn't escape the thought of the mysterious 'something bad' happening to her brother but pushed the gnawing guilt away for the time being. The two benders practically flew outside, aided by Aang's air currents. They stopped fleeing the moment they hit the abandoned deck, unsure of what to do or where to go.

"Aang!" Azula yelled and the bald boy turned to see the familiar figure of the gold clad officer, sword once more in hand, approaching them. The officer paused as he looked at the sky behind them, his firce expression shifting to shock and outrage. Azula glanced in the same direction, while Aang turned completly around to face their new fate head on. Azula almost clapped her hands together at the sight. Zuko, and he was flying on the sky bison. The waterbendering prodigy was too thankful to question how her brother had escaped or the shear ridiculousness of the scene developing around giant, ten ton beast landed roughly on the other side of the metal ship.

"Guys!" Zuko shouted at them. Azula and Aang ran toward him. The officer behind them call out "Now!" and the sound of chains cut the air. Ducking a soldier's grab Azula saw Aang get hit with the metal bola mid leap. The weighted ends wrapped around the boy's torso, pinning his arms and knocking him out into the deadly water.

"Aang!" the waterbenders shouted in concert, momentarily distracted by their allies plight. Aang felt his body hit the strangely solid surface of the ocean but was unable to stop or ease the fall. He squirmed as he sank further into the freezing water, drowning and desperate, wriggling free of the chains as his lungs burned. Drifting deeper Aang felt numbness set in. He didn't feel in control of his body anymore, like something else was directing his movement. The motions, the graceful push and pull of the water around the Avatar's body, it was directed by his hands but he was detached from the sensations. It was hard to focus on what was happening even as he felt the water part, his lungs take in air, his body rise. He was waterbending. As quickly as the force took over it was gone and he fell numbly to the deck. Aang felt two pairs of hands grab him and drag him away. Too weak to fight, he knew he would just escape again later, but the soaked boy realized that the hands were attached to friendly faces.

"Hey, Azula." He panted quietly. "Hey, Zuko. Thanks for catching me."

"Come on." Zuko urged them both. "We have to get out of here." He pulled Azula and Aang to their feet urging them away from the scattered Fire Nation soldiers.

"I dropped my staff." Aang managed to rasp. Zuko ran to pick up the frantic airbender's staff, grateful the wave Aang had rode onto the ship hadn't reached washed it overboard.

"Got it." He called out. The boy then felt a pull and he turned to see what it was. The crew leader, who was thrown overboard when Aang was in the Avatar state, grabbed the staff and tried to pull himself on board. Zuko yanked it away and hit him in the head with it, making the boy let go and fall, barely managing to grasp the anchor chain. The Water Tribe warrior gave him a sharp grin and headed to his friends.

"Come on, ZuZu!" Azula called out to him. She and Aang were already sitting on Appa's back. Zuko quickly climbed up the beast's large tail.

"Yip, yip! Yip, yip!" Aang shouted. Appa swung his tail and flew off, rocking the Fire Nation ship with his take off.

"Shoot them down!" They all turned their heads as they heard the order, realizing that the officer had managed to pull himself onto the ship's safety. A row of firebenders lined up, each of them taking a few steps back as they shot large fire balls at the flying bison. The Water Tribe siblings yelled simultaneously and Aang quickly jumped to his feet, readying his staff. As an enormous fire ball neared them, likely a combined effort, and Aang swung his staff with a force Azula didn't think fit into such a tiny body. The fire bounced back from Aang's staff, reversing its direction.

The young monk did not intend to do such damage but his swing was forceful and the fire slammed in to the deck of the ship. All crew members, including an older man they hadn't seen prior, scattered to escape from the now flaming deck. Azula all but fell back down into the bison's saddle. She looked at her brother, who immediately crawled over to her. Azula did not need, nor did she want his comfort, but she let him put his arms around her and pull her into an embrace. They both knew that Zuko wanted to make sure she was okay but this was as much as she would allow. She would allow her brother this comfort.

Appa pressed higher, flying away as fast as he could while Aang climbed into the saddle, soaked and shivering. Zuko reached out a negligent hand and shifted. Bringing the heal in close and then flipping his wrist away the water in Aang's clothes followed, coalescing in between the airbender and the siblings and then flinging out over the side of the bison. Her brother didn't bend often, but she liked to watch the water flow.

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" The girl turned her head from watching her brother's hand toward Aang. The smaller boy looked rather ashamed and mournful.

"Because… I never wanted to be." He sighed sadly.

"Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and end the war." Zuko told him.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Aang threw his hands into the air and dropped them again sadly. "I'm just a kid."

"I don't know, but we talked about this earlier; you could have said something then. You're already a century late and you're the one who is supposed to do something. You'll have to find a way." Azula said, looking him straight in the eye. "According to legend, you need to first master air, water, then earth and fire."

"Well, I'm already a Master Airbender." The Avatar stated. "We can go to the North Pole and all learn waterbending together." He smiled at his new friends. The airbender scooted next to them and pulled a map out of his robes. "But first," he said, "There are a few places we need to visit. Here, here and here." He grinned sheepishly as he pointed his finger to the map. Zuko scowled and started to argue against sightseeing. Azula didn't pay much attention to what they were saying; Zuko could handle this on his own. She settled into her own thoughts. She would finally find a master.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I heard this song that I think really speaks of the characters in this story and was a great inspiration for this chapter. I suggest you all listen to it; maybe you'll see what I mean -**-Look Away by Thousand Foot Krutch** -

Thank you for reading and don't be afraid to share your thoughts. :)


	4. Chapter 4

~Book One: The Beginning (Water) ~  
~Chapter Four: Fragile (The Southern Air Temple) ~

* * *

_**...**_

_**Our frailness is but an illussion and we must keep ourselves**_

_**from falling into it.**_

* * *

"You're gonna love it, Zula. The Air Temples are the most beautiful places in the world."

The airbender called out to his friend upon waking up. It was barely sunrise yet they were already packing their few positions in preparation of leaving.

Azula noticed that Aang had adopted an irritating habit of calling her by the ridiculous nickname 'Zula'. She hated it and found it unspeakably annoying, but she would never say anything about the matter.

"Aang," she turned to the bald boy, "I just want you to remember that what I said before may be true. The Fire Nation really is ruthless and they could have easily wiped out your people." The young monk's face fell.

"I have to see it for myself." He announced. "Besides, the Airbenders probably all escaped. We have flying bison, you know." He smiled widely down at Appa and petted the beast. Azula rolled her eyes, thinking that if the other bison were anything like Appa, there was no way they managed to escape.

"Aang," Zuko uttered while putting away the last of his gear, "Azula may be right." He turned his head toward the boy. "We just want you to be prepared for the worst."

"It'll be okay. Let's go." Aang smiled in childish glee. They strapped their packs onto Appa's saddle after finishing their meager breakfast before setting off towards the Southern Air Temple once more. The Water Tribe hunter looked down at the trees below them.

"So, these Air Temples?" Zuko uttered quietly. "Are they really that big of a deal?"

"Well, it is my home," The airbender stated. "and as I said before, the Air Temples are among the most beautiful places in the world." He grinned at his friend. "So, yeah, pretty much."

**xxXXxx**

Appa's ability to fly meant they covered a lot of ground quickly, Azula noticed. They were at the Southern Air Temple within hours of setting out that morning and were now exploring the paths leading around the buildings. Azula looked around in disbelief; this was it? This was the majestic Air Temple Aang wouldn't quit bragging about? Zuko was also less than respectful.

"Do you think there are any supplies up here?" He blurted out while looking at the charred remains of a storehouse. Aang smiled widely.

"Sure. Lots of fruits and all the lychee nuts you can eat." The warrior's face fell as he made a grimace as he paused to rethink his questions.

"Do you keep any dried goods around?" He asked, feeling his stomach growl even after meager breakfast. "Like salted meat?" Azula punched him in the arm. "What? We need provisions or we are going to starve."

"Actually, Zuko, Airbenders don't eat meat. We're vegetarians." The Avatar stated proudly.

"No meat?" Azula asked for confirmation. "You guys live off of nuts and berries?" Zuko stated at the same time.

The bald boy nodded. "And fruit pies." Zuko stared at him trying to imagine life without needing to hunt.

"That, also, would be fruit." Azula noted and Aang gave her a small 'Oh'. They continued to explore the depths of the temple with Aang giving his best imitation of an elder monk showing important visitors around. Eventually he led them to an open court yard, free of the dead trees and shattered stone that littered the rest of the temple.

"Guys, I want you to meet someone." Aang called to them as Zuko and Azula approached. They saw he was staring at a life-sized stone statue resting on a podium and covered in snow. "This is Monk Gyatso." He told them, respect and love reflecting in his eyes. "He taught me everything I know." With that one sentence Aang's good mood was replaced with a somber expression Azula had seen few times since he emerged from the ice.

From Azula's point of view it seemed as though Aang had been reminded of something disturbing, something best left forgotten. Upon closer examination the Airbender's expression was one of grief, tempered with shame and self-loathing. After a long moment filled with uncomfortable silence Aang bowed with a kind of formal intimacy that seemed at home between the Avatar and his teacher.

"What is it, Aang?" Zuko stepped forward from where he had observed the scene. Aang gave a small sigh.

"There's someone I'm ready to meet." With that, he walked away towards his new objective, forcing the two waterbenders to follow him or be left alone in the middle of fire scorched ruins in completely unknown territory.

They followed the airbender into a dark hall connecting to the courtyard with Gyatso's statue; yet another part of the Temple ruined by the wrath of the Fire Nation. Azula could tell that these walls had been hand painted with murals the last time Aang had walked here, she wondered if they would have appealed to her personal taste. Zuko stepped toward the ornate double doors that marked the end of the hallway, placing himself between the Avatar and the person Aang needed to see.

"Aang," Azula looked at him, subconsciously acting in concert with her brother, "there's no way someone could have survived in there for a century." She stated, but Aang shrugged her worries off.

"It's not impossible." He said, placing a finger to his chin as a smile came to his lips. "I survived in the iceberg for that long." The girl was about to reply before her brother cut her off.

"Yeah, but you're the Avatar. You don't count." The Avatar frowned at him as Zuko pressed against the unyielding door. "Can you even open this thing, anyway?" The older boy got off the topic. "Is there a key?"

That provoked a satisfied smile from Aang, who stepped closer to the door, taking Zuko's place. "The key, Zuko, is airbending." With a flourish, the youthful monk air bent two blasts into a pair of horns disguised as decoration on the door. He paused, waiting for the horns to turn over, unlocking the door and allow them passage. Azula heard a loud sound come from both doors and assumed Aang had succeeded in opening them.

The three of them entered the chamber in which they found row upon row of adult sized statues, each one looking freshly carved with exquisite detail.

"Statues?" Zuko said aloud. "What's so special about these statues?" Aang rolled his eyes at the boy.

"I already told you; we're here to meet someone important." The tattooed Avatar reiterated. Zuko's eye brows rose slowly as he waited for the air bender to actually answer his question.

"Aang, snap out of it." The waterbender girl said as she approached the younger boy. He seemed to be in some kind of trance. The girl looked up at the statue. "Who is that?" She asked.

"That's Avatar Roku." The current Avatar smiled. "He was the Avatar before me." Azula bent down and surveyed the statue.

"How do you know his name?" She looked at the airbender. "There's no writing." Aang lifted his thin shoulders into a slight shrug.

"I'm not sure. I just kind of...know." Zuko groaned behind the robed boy, crossing his arms.

"You just couldn't get any weirder."

"Aang, these are all your past lives." Azula informed him. "There are so many of them." Her brother walked around, looking at each statue closely, as if they would suddenly revive and attack them.

The teen flinched as he heard a loud sound come from outside the shrine they were in. Assuming it was a threat he ducked behind the statue of a particularly large avatar, drawing his boomerang in preparation for the upcoming battle.

"Get down." The waterbender whispered as he gestured for his younger companions to move away from the door. With all three benders hidden the room fell silent; it was a deadly, ear-ripping silence that crept in beneath their bones, leaving them frozen in a state of anticipation.

"It's the Fire Nation." Azula whispered under her breath as she caught a glimpse of the silhouette approaching them through the dark. The girl felt herself shiver as she awaited the upcoming clash. She could hear her brother whispering something that she did not understand. Zuko rose to his feet with his weapon tightly clasped and jumped from behind his hiding spot to face their enemy with a warrior's howl.

The Water Tribe boy stood frozen in place as he observed the small animal before him.

"Lemur!" Aang announced happily.

"Dinner." The siblings said simultaneously.

"Come here, little guy." The airbender ignored his friends. "I won't let them hurt you." Azula sneered inwardly as the two boys went for the animal. The Avatar then scooped the little thing up in his arms and petted his head.

The small creature held, what to Azula seemed, some kind of fruit. It climbed down Aang to Zuko. The lemur placed the fruit before Zuko's feet, who reached for it. As if changing its mind, the lemur then grabbed the fruit out of the Water Tribe boy's hand, leaving him with his mouth wide open and his hand hanging in the air.

"I'm gonna call him Momo." Aang announced. "What do you think?"

"Sure." An irritated Zuko grumbled.

"Wait." His sister raised a finger towards Momo. "We're bringing that thing? What if it has some kind of disease?"

Aang smiled. "Don't be silly. He's adorable." The waterbender girl put her hands on her hips.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." She noticed then that her older brother had disappeared. "Where's Zuko gone?" She asked, her voice exasperated. Aang merely shrugged, but looked around curiously.

"We better go check on him." The two benders roamed down the seemingly endless hallways, unable to find any sign of Zuko and the boy's sister was starting to grow aggravated. "Momo!" Aang extended his hand as the lemur jumped off his shoulder and ran off, down another hallway, squeaking and chattering. They both ran after the animal until they reached a room whose inside was hidden behind an old degrading curtain. Aang entered, slowing as he took in the room. The Avatar fell to his knees and stared, his breathing turned ragged and gasping. Sobs ripped out of him, curling his shoulders inward and shaking his small frame.

"Aang..." Azula stopped herself mid-sentence as she focused on what Aang was crying over –in the framed center there was a skeleton sprawled against the far wall, remains of Fire Nation soldiers surrounding it. Aang's reaction told her it was his teacher Gyatso. Azula wrinkled her nose as she approached Aang and rested her palm on his shoulder.

"Come on, Aang," she urged him. "Let's get out of here." There was no response, only a sudden stillness. The tattoos along his head and neck began to glow brightly and when he turned his face toward her his eyes were shining. Azula stepped back, recognizing the blank expression as dangerous. The possessed boy kept his glowing eyes on Azula as she ran outside. With an absent minded gesture he blasted off the roof of the chamber, scattering armor and debris while clearing his line of sight to the Water Tribe girl. Azula frantically searched for her brother, nearly running into him as they both rounded a corner.

"What happened?" He yelled trying to be heard over the gust of stormy wind Aang was creating.

"I don't know!" Azula yelled back, holding her fist in front of her eyes. "He must have triggered something."

"We have to do something or he'll blow us off the mountain." Azula nodded at her brother's statement and moved forward before Zuko could react. He extended his arm to grab her but the wind forced him to grab hold of a stone in order to maintain his position.

"Aang!" The girl shouted at the raging Avatar. "Calm down! I know you're upset but this isn't the way. This won't bring your people back! You have to stop it." She continued on, staring into the white glow of his eyes. "I know it hurts and I know it's too much –losing your family – I understand. But you're not alone. Zuko and I, we've lost our family to the Fire Nation, too. We won't let anything happen to you, but you must stop this!" Azula shouted to Aang, hoping the boy inside would understand, knowing she would say whatever necessary to calm him down. To the girl's relief the glow in Aang's eyes gradually lessened, his arrows growing dark, and he lowered to the ground slowly.

Both Water Tribe siblings ran toward him and Azula rested her hand on his shoulders. "Are you okay, Aang?" She asked, receiving a brief nod before he was collapsing into her arms.

"I'm sorry." Aang said as Azula reluctantly held his body near; he wasn't aware of her discomfort and he sighed at her closeness. "I hope you never have to see me like that again."

_Me too_, Azula thought gloomily.

Zuko crouched next to them, laying a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Aang, this," Zuko gestured at the scattered debris," is okay. We're all... a little messed up from our own loss." He paused briefly to let his words settle. It was a quiet moment with the three of them huddled close. Wind echoed through the broken walls and Azula looked around at the scattered stone and ceramic, at the old bones and rusted armor. "People leave us," Zuko murmured, "it happens, but you can't let it break you. You have to remember that, and you have to learn to not let it rule you. That you can fix the holes they leave behind." The airbender nodded in agreement, in understanding of Zuko words. They were filled with the same weight his lost Master spoke with.

Aang lifted his grey eyes to Azula; stormy sky meeting peaceful ocean. "But what if there's nothing left to fix?"

**xxXXxx**

"Uncle, we can't waste any time. I want the repairs finished as quickly as possible." Sokka moved down the gangplank to the shore, feeling uneasy about their necessary stop. Their ship had been damaged from the confrontation with the Avatar; the entire deck was charred and the prow was bent from the force of that beast's landing. Sokka could still not comprehend how a small child, a child he had not consider to be any real threat, could do such damage. Regardless, they were left stranded in the South Pole seas, limping along until another Fire Nation ship could come and get them. The humiliation of being defeated by a kid and needing a tow was choking.

"We have to find him." He said.

"You mean the Avatar?" Iroh asked as he stroked his beard. Sokka stopped suddenly to shush his foolish uncle.

"Don't mention his name on these docks." He hissed. "Once word gets out that he's alive every firebender in the world will be after him, and I told you already: I don't want anyone getting in the way."

"Getting in the way of what, Prince Sokka?" An unwelcome voice called and Sokka wondered how much the intrusive man had overheard.

"Captain Sideburns." He mumbled.

"Captain Zhao." Iroh greeted the man. "It is an honor."

"It's Commander Zhao, actually, and, General Iroh, the pleasure is all mine." The man looked at the wrecked ship and made a grimace. "That's quite a bit of damage, General. What happened?"

"We were attacked." Sokka stepped in immediately. "Things got a little too heated." He explained as the older man raised a condescending brow.

"Well you simply must share all the thrilling details." He demanded. "Join me for tea." Sokka shook his head quickly.

"Sorry, but we have to go." He said and was already turning to leave when Iroh put a hand on his shoulder.

"Prince Sokka, show Commander Zhao your respect." The elder man said. "Thank you for the offer..."

"But we have to go." The Fire Prince insisted and his uncle shot him a sideways look.

"We would love to join you. But I am afraid there is not much to say about this affair." The Dragon of the West said. Sokka groaned and joined the two older men.

Inside, they sat around a small table, barely big enough to fit the three of them. The tea was poured and each sipped quietly for a moment. Sokka sat with his back straight, unwilling to be here but unable to leave. He had certain obligations as the Fire Prince, unfortunately respect to officers was one of them, even when he was sure said officers were plotting.

"So, General Iroh, what brings you to the area? I was under the impression you were traveling much further from the Fire Nation." Zhao asked politely as he took yet another sip of his tea. The General furrowed his eyebrows.

"Commander, you know as well as I that we have no reason to avoid the Fire Nation." He made a soothing motion. "Not that you were suggesting it." Before the Commander could answer, however, a soldier entered the room with a bow.

"Commander Zhao," the soldier said. "We interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed that Prince Sokka held the Avatar in custody but let him escape." The Prince's eyes were wide when Zhao turned to him.

"Tell me, Prince Sokka, how exactly did you say your ship was damaged?" He smiled cruelly.

"I said that we were attacked and that the fire got out of control," the Prince repeated annoyed. "Which is exactly what happened."

"Perhaps, but you failed to mention the Avatar." The Commander insisted.

"I do not report to you, Commander." Zhao's eyebrows twitched at the Prince's rudeness, but the man held his tongue, well aware of his place.

"With all due respect, my Prince, you might want to watch your tongue; some years at sea have obviously done little to temper it." The older man said. "I am sure you realize that letting the Avatar, the Fire Nation's greatest threat in this war, escape is treason. But, then again, if you understood anything about treason or loyalty you wouldn't have failed to mention him being alive." He was now close to Sokka's burning face. Even though knowing the Commander had no right to speak to him in such a way, he kept silent. "Tell me, what do you think your Father would say if he once again learned what a failure you are?"

For some reason, Sokka realized, this man hated him. In fact this entire conversation was inappropriate and insulting, but for him to mention his Father and his failure, being born a non-bender, triggered his anger.

"You will regret saying that!" He shouted, ramrod posture straightening even further. "I hear you are skilled with weaponry." He said instead. He did not wait for the man's response. "I think we can settle this matter in a dual." The former Captain burst out laughing.

"You want to fight me?" He asked. Iroh looked at his nephew.

"Sokka, is this smart?" He whispered as he placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Sokka dropped his head.

"No." The Prince whispered in such a low voice he was barely certain it was his voice. "But I can't stand by as he humiliates me. Punishing him won't solve anything. I have to teach him a lesson." He then turned toward the older man. "Yes. I want to fight you."

…

The sun was already soaking bloody rays into the sea when the three men stepped outside. They went forward to the open deck, Sokka's weapon having been fetched from his own ship. The Commander stepped away from the two royals.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" He asked as he observed the light dancing along the sharp edges of his blade. "I wouldn't want to humiliate you."

"You won't." The Prince shot back as he took in the way the man handled his sword. Zoah seemed acquainted with the art of swordsmanship and while Sokka had never actually fought a master outside of training, he was well trained. He imagined, however, that it could not be much different than his scuffles over the past few years. Master Piando was the best and he had sparred frequently with his teacher.

He readied his sword and, without so much as a second glance at the older man, delivered his first strike.

Zhao was prepared for him. He swiftly dodged Sokka's attack and hit him in the ribs. The boy refused to let the pain get to him and got up. 'Fix now, mend later' was the mantra he repeated inwardly. He stroke again, this time his sword made contact with his opponent, cutting his cheek in a deep, bloody wound. He was surprised and amazed with himself but had little time to recover, for Zhao already had, and he was now running toward Sokka like a tornado. Sokka saw no other way but to jump to the side, thereby hurting his hip and back.

He decided it'd be best to use his agility and quickness over skill. They fought, occasionally cutting one another, but mostly keeping their distance waiting for the other to strike. Zhao was, as Sokka quickly realized an impatient and rather tempered man and was quick to act but slow to think of his attack so he was, more often than not, the one to attack. Sokka held his defensive position, calculating his moves -each advantage and disadvantage- before launching an attack. Now, both covered in sweat and panting, they were at the end of their tether. Sokka analyzed his position, as well his opponent's, and realized it would be safe to strike. Don't take too long, he reminded himself, count to three.

He was looking ahead of himself, searching for an opening.

_One._

Zhao stood in place, his eyes fixated on Sokka's.

_Two._

His guard dropped, Sokka realized slowly. He was now an easy enough target.

_Three._

Sokka took no more time to hesitate; he pulled his sword in front of himself and let his feet carry him the length of the way. Not stopping once, he quickly moved forward and found himself standing in front of his opponent in less than a blink of an eye. He felt the adrenalin pumping in his veins - making him sweat more and his heart pound in his ears. But the Prince stood his ground. Zhao was taken aback by the sudden attack and its vigor and fell to the ground, his body creating a loud, echoing thump. Sokka was by the man's feet in a second, leaning his sword against the Commander's neck.

"Do it!" He spat, but Sokka lowered his sword and turned his back on the man.

"I won't kick a man when he's already down. It's not honorable." He faced the man on the ground yet again. "But if you ever get in my way again, I assure you, it won't turn out like this." He then started to walk away.

"Your Father raised a coward!" The former Captain yelled after the boy. Sokka stopped, frozen in place; frozen in time.

Was it really honor? Or was it cowardice to show mercy to this man? Was he really worthless for giving a second chance? Was he that frail? Or was he steadfast and true?

Maybe he was all of those things, after all. Maybe he really was strong and staunch and unwavering. Yet, perhaps he was just as frail and weak and futile as they believed him to be. He didn't know. He didn't know if he wanted to know.

_No_.

He was not worthless and fragile. He was strong and steady and he would stand his own; because he believed in himself; he had to because no one else did. Frailness was an illusion that his Father, and perhaps many others, had blinded themselves with.

He believed better, and he would keep himself from falling into that same illusion.

Because if he would not save himself, who would?

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**Author's Note: **Thank you all for reading. Please review ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Sorry for not updating I had to find a new beta. Thanks to **ScarletNahla** for helping with the first chapters and thank you to** Shi-de-Bihu **for filling in for her. This chapter is for you :)

Saki means "blossom" and "hope", Sokka means "warrior". Just keep this in the back of your mind; it'll make sense after you read the chapter. Happy reading :)

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~Book One: The Beginning (Water) ~

~Chapter Five: Behind Blue Eyes (The Warriors of Kyoshi) ~

* * *

Azula has always been somewhat impatient, as was her brother, and she could never force herself to wait for anything or anyone. With the cognition of having to wait for _weeks _at the very least until being able to finally learn water bending she felt as though she was being choked by the time, led to the edge of her patience only to let herself fall over.

"How much longer do we have to fly to the North Pole?" She cried for the millionth time that morning. Zuko groaned behind her but she didn't bother looking at him.

"You are so annoying." He told her, the tone of his voice mirroring his words. "We won't get there for a few weeks."

"Maybe not even then." Aang interjected, as cheerful as always.

"Right." Zuko added irritably. "So just shut up about it."

Azula shifted back in her seat, completely unsatisfied with her brother's answer. She didn't want to wait; she couldn't. Perhaps it was a matter of persistency or maybe it was simply foolishness, but she refused to digress from the subject.

"Why is this thing so slow?" She looked down at the bison and refused to show him her astonishment when he glanced back. "Can't you fly any faster, you flea bag?" To her utter surprise, Appa accelerated his incredibly dilatory pace. Azula fell back and hit her shoulder on the saddle. Aang turned to her with a goofy smile across his features.

"That's what you get for being a meanie." He laughed.

"So, Aang," Zuko uttered slowly, "Where exactly is this place we're going to?"

Aang looked back at his tanned friend. "We'll, I know it's near water." He said to the both of them.

"We must be getting close, then." Azula mumbled sarcastically as she rested her eyes on the sea stretching for miles below them.

"Hey…uh… Azula?" Aang called the tan girl somewhat uncertain. She just looked down at him, but for some arrogant reason she refused to speak. "Wanna check out my air bending trick?" The girl merely shrugged.

The air bender pulled some kind of tiny metal balls out of his robes – when Azula gave them a closer look she realized they were marbles – and put them between his palms; he shifted them a little in between his fingers and then he released them into the air and let them circle each other, supported by his air bending. He looked at Azula, joy and childish happiness adorning his youthful face. But the lack of his friend's reaction made him feel disenchanted and his face fell, mirroring his emotion. In the poor attempt to make him feel better, Zuko looked at him and said with a smile:

"That's really cool, Aang." But it soon became obvious the air bender desired his sister's attention, and there wasn't much Zuko could do about her shortage of interest in the boy. Zuko frowned at the realization, looking to the side. His mood swing didn't go unnoticed by Aang, who seemed to have recovered from Azula's rejection, but Zuko knew all too well that that was only on the surface while the turmoil remained inside, provisionally bottled up.

"Come on, guys, don't be so grumpy." Aang urged them. "We'll get there." He looked at Azula, a soft smile placed on his lips. She couldn't resist but to smile back.

**…**

"Uh, what is this place? It kind of stinks." Azula frowned deeply as she wrinkled her nose. "I don't like it here, let's go." She turned to Zuko and Aang who were both standing on the shore behind her. Azula just then noticed that she went all the way into the water, soaking her shoes in its icy coolness.

"But Appa's tired already." Aang insisted in an innocent voice. "We gotta give him a break."

"He is not tired." Zuko argued. "We barely flew a day. At this rate we won't make it to the North Pole until spring." Azula's eyes popped open.

"What?" She swiftly turned around and immediately headed toward Appa. "Come on, we're going." She ordered. The monk's childish face fell.

"But, I wanted to ride the koi fish." He cried. "Can't we just stay for a little while?" Aang pleaded.

Azula stopped and turned her head toward the younger boy. "Have you forgotten you need to master water bending?" She held a steady expression.

"Well there's plenty of water right here." He extended his arm toward the ocean. "We might as well practice."

Azula couldn't turn down a chance to practice her water bending. But, then again, she already knew how to play with the water; force it to go by her will and command. She wanted to do more than just fancy splashes, but she needed a real Master for that.

"No." She said curtly. "We're leaving. We'll have plenty of time to practice later on." Aang threw another tristful look at the water before turning after the water benders. Zuko didn't say a thing, he just stood aside and looked as the scene before him unfolded into something he did not approve of, yet was seemingly uninterested in it all. He was about to scold his younger sibling, but was abruptly interrupted when he felt strong hands grab his shoulders and throw his body to the ground. In the blink of an eye they were all on the ground with their hands tied to their backs.

"Or we could stay awhile." Azula groaned.

**…**

"Let us go!" The water bender girl yelled into the dark that has fallen upon her eyes. "You can't keep us here. We didn't do anything!" She started shifting her body fiercely; half- expecting she would free herself of the tight ropes. This situation unpleasantly reminded Azula of the time they were captured by the Fire Nation officer.

"You better tell us who you are and what you are doing here." A voice came to their ears. They all felt disoriented in the thick darkness.

"And you better tell the truth or we'll throw you back to the Unagi." Another voice came from afar.

"Show yourselves, you cowards!" Azula wanted to scream. She couldn't remember a time in which she had felt this helpless. Suddenly the darkness was replaced by the blinding daylight, and though she would rather it came more gradually, Azula was glad she could now see the face of her attackers.

"You're girls?" Zuko blurted out, dumbfounded. And truly, as Azula lifted her eyes to them, she found they were surrounded by a bunch of girls. "Who are you?" one of the girls stepped forward. She was, as well as the others, dressed in green and gold robes that suited her quite well. Her face was painted completely in white – aside from her thick black and red eyeliner – and Azula thought she looked like a ghost. But what caught her eyes the most was the sharp golden fan the girl held between her gloved fingers.

"We're your worst nightmare." She warned him coolly. Or was it a threat? Azula couldn't be sure, but the girl's voice was intimidating and hostile. "Who are _you_?" She asked as she poked Zuko in the chest.

"We're no one." Azula cut her brother off. The girl turned her face to look at the water bender, and now that she had, Azula noticed how beautiful she really is; her narrow jaw suited her eyes perfectly and her full cheeks and pug little nose made her thickly colored lips look less frightening. "We're just travelers passing by." The beautiful girl didn't look convinced.

"They're lying." A man uttered angrily. Azula had just noticed his presence, as well as that he was the only man there. "They are obviously intruders – Fire Nation spies. Kyoshi has stayed out of the war so far and we intend to keep it that way, intruders and other such threats are not welcomed here." He crossed his arms over his large chest.

"This island is named after Kyoshi?" Aang asked in a low voice, as if speaking only to himself.

"Aang is the Avatar." Azula announced before the younger boy could so much as catch his breath. The painted girl raised a brow at her brother and extended her index finger.

"_You're _the Avatar?" she laughed mockingly. Zuko glared at her angrily but shook his head in disagreement. The girl switched from Zuko's face to Aang's and announced in an understanding voice: "Oh. That makes _much_ more sense." Zuko made an effort not to spit in her face. Instead he simply threw her another sideways glare.

"No, it doesn't." The elder man said, revealing his silent presence to Azula once again. "The last Avatar was an air bender, and he disappeared over a century ago. No one has seen him since." All the eyes were now turned to Aang.

"No, it's true." Aang reaffirmed. "I really am the Avatar. And I'm an air bender; the last one, actually, or so I've been told." His voice almost broke with the last words. The Water Tribe siblings shared a look – none quite sure of what the other was thinking.

To prove the candor of his words, the Avatar flew himself into the air, high above, where he was overlooking everyone bellow him, only to meet the solid ground moments later as he landed to his feet graciously. Azula heard gasps and whispers come from every side, from everyone.

"It _is_ true." The girl with the golden fans – Azula realized there were two, which was that much more of a threat – said bellow voice, but loud enough so that those standing beside her would hear her. They were now all kneeling on the ground, their heads low and in between their hands. They showed Aang their deepest apologies and humblest greetings of his return. Zuko wrinkled his nose in frustration, his back stiff.

"Anybody gonna untie us now?"

**…**

Aang looked with a smile at the giant platter of food placed before him. "Boy, these people sure know how to treat an Avatar." He mumbled with his mouth already stuffed with all kinds of food. "This is great."

"Yeah," Azula admitted dryly, "But don't get too comfortable. We have to leave soon." She said, looking over at her brother. Zuko seemed kind of distracted ever since they got to the island, and Azula didn't like the fact that she didn't know what was on his mind. She assumed it was because of the girl with the fans – she told them her name was Suki – but she knew that was as good of a guess as any. "What's with you, ZuZu?" She tossed a loaf of bread in his direction and, to Azula's utter surprise and contentment; he caught it into the palm of his hand. When he didn't place the food to his mouth, Azula's sisterly instincts kicked in.

"Aren't you going to eat?" She asked bluntly.

"No, I'm not hungry." The warrior answered a little too wryly. Azula raised an irritated brow.

"Drop the impertinence, will you?" She railed him angrily and somewhat irritably. "I'm just trying to be helpful." She said in a low voice, sounding almost ruefully. Zuko glanced at her, but said nothing. He stood up and left the room instead, leaving his sister in half - certainty that he was, actually, mad at her.

**…**

Zuko walked along the village, mumbling to himself about things he had yet to cognize, but wasn't altogether sure he wanted to –especially considering the fact that his sister always remained a complete mystery in the young water bender's eyes, and sometimes he preferred it that way. He roamed still, all along completely uncertain and inattentive about his whereabouts. He looked around himself, then, and in the corner of his eye Zuko noticed a small hut. Not knowing what it was or why he was even headed toward it, he let his feet lead him to the open entrance.

Inside there were girls – a whole lot of them – practicing what to Zuko looked like dance movements. He noted that those were the same girls who knocked him down not a day ago. As he was about to turn away and disappear behind the nearest corner, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"What are you doing here?" Suki stepped forward with both her hands clenched into fists on her hips. Zuko noticed just then that, beneath the overmuch layers of fabric, there was a feminine figure.

"I was just passing by." He said shortly, looking up from her hips to meet her eyes; those bright blue eyes, and he couldn't help but wonder what was the story behind them – they looked like little buttons, he perceived – but spoke no more, holding no desire to converse with this girl, whom he had started to consider his enemy.

"Stay awhile." Suki offered. Zuko was not sure if it really was an act of kindness or if it was a trap to ensure his further humiliation. And he did not want to find out.

"Thanks, but I have to go." His reply was once again quite short and unfriendly. He didn't know Suki for very long, much less did he know if she had any kind of hidden agenda or what kind of person was hidden underneath the layers of her make-up, but she was his self-proclaimed 'enemy', and Zuko knew better than to associate with his enemies. Suki's face fell into a somewhat disappointed frown only to be forced back into a neutral grimace.

"Well, I guess you'll never have that rematch, then." With those words she turned on her heel and disappeared from Zuko's sight, her girls following her swiftly. The Water Tribe warrior cursed inwardly and reluctantly followed the girls inside, instantly deciding he would stay aloof.

"So, listen, I don't need a dance lesson or something like that." He assured the leading girl, more so to make himself seem tougher than he felt right then. Suki looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, don't be modest," She said, "I'm sure you could use one." All the girls chuckled, which made Zuko feel uneasy. He cleared his throat nervously, not entirely sure what he was nervous about.

"Okay, so, what do you got?" He had already positioned himself into a fighting stance, and, although all the girls seemed rather pleased and intrigued; one silent look from Suki was more than enough to get them to reluctantly leave.

"Don't worry," The girl said mockingly, "I'll go easy on you." She then loosened her stance and took a step back to look at him. "Something's missing," She observed him minutely, her lips already spreading into a satisfied smile. "Wait right here." She instructed him before leaving into the back room. Soon enough she was back, and with a piece of clothing folded in her arms.

"Here," She handed him the clothes, "put this on. You can wear it over your own clothes." Suki instructed him. "And while you do that, I will help you with something else. Now don't peek, okay?" And truly, Suki did a fair job of warning him not look, and Zuko did a fair job at trying to do otherwise. By the end of their 'beauty session', as Suki had called it, Zuko was dressed in the same clothes as Suki and he assumed rather bitterly that the surplus extra layer on his skin was make-up.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked looking down at himself in disgust. "It feels a little _girly." _Suki gave him a wide smile from which Zuko assumed she knew exactly how he felt.

"You should be proud." She told him in an even, proud voice. "The silk thread represents the honor of serving as a warrior of Kyoshi and the gold insignia represents our courage – the brave blood that runs through our veins." Zuko actually cowered with pride. _Bravery and honor, _he thought radiating. He stood tall and proud, repeating that mantra in his head over and over again; each time the words had a greater meaning.

"We are under attack. Girls, come quickly." Zuko recognized the man he had met the day prior. Suki hurried up after the man while Zuko stayed behind, repeating the man's words inwardly. _Girls?! _

"I'm not a girl!" He yelled into the open air before sprinting after them. Indeed, the village was under attack. There was fire everywhere Zuko looked, people running and screaming, shouting for their families and children, little kids running around completely disoriented.

"Miss, I'm lost." He felt a tiny hand touch his own and he looked down; a little girl, not much older than five winters old, was looking up at him with frightened watery eyes, her face already stained with shed tears. She looked so lost and afraid and pathetic that Zuko couldn't hold it against her for thinking he was a girl.

"It's okay." Zuko took her hand and led her into an unknown direction, desperate to find her shelter and provide her safety. He didn't realize it then, but she strangely reminded him of Azula when she was that age. "It will be okay." _I hope. _He decided it'd be best not to lie to her or give her false hope. Because, in all honesty, he didn't know if everything was going to be okay. "What's your name?" He asked hurriedly as he spotted a familiar face on the other side.

"It's Saki." The little girl sobbed. Zuko offered her the most loving and friendly smile he was able to manage.

"Everything will be okay, Saki, I promise." He told her as they were now near a small hut. "You just go in there and stay safe, okay?" Saki nodded twice, as if to assure her, and him, and hugged him tightly before running into the hut. She held him as though to say '_You stay safe, too.'_

He then turned and joined Suki and the other girls in the fight. He saw him; the Fire Nation officer who had imprisoned them. They locked eyes for a brief moment, and the officer looked dumfounded, his brow raised in confusion, and Zuko assumed he recognized him, as well. After knocking all the other girls to the ground he turned to look at Zuko's face.

"Are you a dude?" The officer asked bluntly. Seeing the weird look on the older boy's face – Zuko assumed it was confusion and astonishment; at least that' s how he felt right then – he punched him in the stomach. Hard. Zuko lost his balance and fell to the ground. Hard. The officer no longer seemed interested in the Water Tribe boy as he stepped away from the pile of bodies he had defeated.

The Fire Prince then stepped away from the disoriented faces that lay before him, turning his full attention to the blowing wind.

"Come out, Avatar!" The armored man shouted into the open air. His soldiers seemed to be prepared for anything, yet they were not prepared for an encounter with the Avatar. "You hide behind helpless little girls. Are you that afraid of me?" He turned around his orbit, still looking into nowhere; yelling into nowhere.

"I'm here." A familiar voice came somewhere from behind him. _Finally, _he groaned inwardly.

"I see you decided to show up." Sokka's voice was steady, confident. "Don't worry," he said. "I have no desire to hurt you; I'll leave that to my Father. Just come with me and I won't hurt you or anyone else."

Aang looked around himself; the entire village was as good as burnt to the ground. People depended on him and he let them down, again. But if he surrendered now, he would let them down again, and not just these here people – but the whole world.

"I won't come with you." He said, raising his staff in front of himself, as if it would somehow defend him. "You better leave. Now." The officer raised a somewhat amused brow, but Aang was not sure what about this situation was amusing. As if following an unspoken order, all the fire benders marched forward in attack. There seemed to be dozens of them, every single one of them a bender and Aang began to think their odds were very low. The Avatar swiftly opened his glider, thereby dodging an attack from the side, and flew over his opponents. He returned from the other side, his legs extended, and knocked one of the fire benders down. The air bender noticed Zuko standing at the other side; he, as well, was fighting off the enemies. Though this was most certainly not the situation for pedantry, Aang couldn't help but descry Zuko's poor stance and fighting. He decided to disregard it, though, and turned his head to find himself facing the lea officer.

"You don't have to do this." The Avatar reasoned with the older boy, who shook his head with a laugh.

"You have no idea." They were circling each other, both in a low fighting stance, but none attacked – as if they were both waiting for the other to strike first. "_You _don't have to do this. Why are you fighting me? I promise I won't hurt anyone else if you just surrender peacefully."

"But the Fire Nation will." Aang shook his head in an utterly sad notion while Sokka merely shrugged.

"That's not my problem, and it's not yours."

"But it is my problem." Their feet were still leading them in small circles. Sokka raised his sword and pointed it at Aang, holding the weapon near his shoulder. "I'm the Avatar. It's my duty to protect the world and bring balance." The officer laughed once again.

"Who told you that?" He asked almost mockingly. "Why would that be your job? You're just a child." Aang would be lying if he said he knew for certain what he was supposed to do as the Avatar, because the bitter truth was that he had no apprehension at all.

"Well you're just a teenager." The Avatar replied. "What do you think your job is?"

The officer's steady and confident mask suddenly fell apart; no longer was he emotionless or distant – he looked sad, betrayed and lost in the world with no one to guide him. In such a broken, alien voice he whispered mournfully.

"I just want to go home." With those words he finally attacked. His blade was sharp and deadly, his motions quick and precise. Aang dodged his first attack, and his second, but with the third swing he managed to rip off a part of the air bender's robe and cut his leg. The boy cried out in pain but successfully ignored it as he opened his glider and flew off into the distance. Sokka didn't wait for the Avatar to return – he wouldn't wait any longer – but followed him swiftly into the crowd. The whole time he looked to the sky in hope to notice him thus didn't notice a small figure extend her leg and he stumbled and fell. In a blink of an eye the Prince was on his feet again, but the little girl was already drowned in the throng. The Fire Prince cursed loudly and wished – as he had wished countless times before – to be a fire bender, to be able to burn something to ashes right then.

**…**

Azula ran as fast as she could, as far away as she could. The girl wished to find her brother, or even Aang, for she needed reassurance that they were alright. Seeing the Fire Nation officer yet again disturbed the water bender in more ways than one – even more so because she was alone.

"Zuko!" She shouted into nowhere, her voice carried away into the distance. "Zuko!" For the first time in a long time, she felt the need to release her emotions – anger, frustration, fear, solitude – through tears. She hadn't cried – _really cried – _ever since her mother died. After that, she never let herself feel like that again. "Please."

"Did the poor baby get herself lost?" A metal-sharp voice startled Azula. She turned and immediately tried to run away, but he was too quick. Already he was before her and so she bumped into him thus allowing him to grab her wrists tightly. "I suppose I would be right if I said you're the one I owe my newest bruise to?" He teased her playfully.

"What have you done with my brother?" The girl demanded sharply. The officer raised a thin brow.

"I didn't even know you had a brother." The boy exclaimed in fake astonishment and surprise. Azula groaned irritably and tried to free herself of his grasp.

"Let me go!" She yelled fiercely. To her utter surprise, he let her go, but Azula was too stunned to actually run away from him. What took the girl aback even more was the fact that the officer – her enemy – grabbed her by the hand again and started running with her in an unknown direction. Azula screamed and fought but he didn't release her. "Let go!" She looked behind and just then realized they were near the sea shore. She screamed in terror as she realized why they were running – there, by the very shore, was a giant sea monster; the Unagi, Azula realized in trepidation. The beast was enormous – even bigger than Aang's bison – with a way too long tongue and way too sharp teeth. It was all the water bender needed to see to sprint faster. She was now in front of the Fire Nation officer and was pulling him by the hand – for he still refused to let her go – hurrying him up.

"Are you okay?" Sokka looked at the girl as they managed to get enough distance between them and the sea. All she could manage was a small, barely noticeable nod. "I honestly don't know what to do now." The Fire Prince murmured. Azula almost laughed, but managed to restrain herself. This really was an absurd situation.

"Should we just go our separate ways?" She asked insecurely. The boy raised a brow, his eyes widened in confusion and discomfort.

"I guess so." He replied. "I mean, I don't want to hurt you." It would be a lie to say Azula wasn't stunned. "What's your name, little peasant?"

_Little peasant? _This guy had some issues. Azula refused to answer him. "Why don't you just stick to the nickname, Fire boy?" she spat.

"It's Sokka." Azula's eyes fluttered to his face. _Sokka_, she repeated inly and took a mental note to remember his name. It was the first time she had really looked at him – the first time Sokka had noticed her piercing blue gaze – and he had to wonder about the story that lied behind those blue eyes.

"It fits you well." She told him before turning and running from him. The Prince was left alone, staring after the girl he had spared, wondering why he had spared her.

"Not really." He whispered miserably, but she was already too far to discern the echo of his voice.

**…**

"Azula!" Her brother crashed into the girl as he embraced her tightly. "I was so worried about you."

"Why are you wearing makeup?" She mumbled in his shoulder. Zuko just held her tighter against himself. "Where's Airhead?"

She felt her brother shrug against her face before pulling away. "I don't know. I haven't seen him." He told her. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Guys!" The air bender landed to his feet before the Water Tribe members. "You're okay." He whispered happily as he hugged them both.

"What happened?" The siblings asked in unison. "Where are all the Fire Nation soldiers?"

"The sea monster attacked their ship and they were forced to flee." Aang explained. "They're all gone."

"We have to go, as well." Azula put her hand on Aang's shoulder as if to lead him away, but she just stood beside him, the palm of her hand resting upon the monk's thin shoulder.

"Azula's right," Zuko added. "We can't afford to stay here for much longer. We have to go."

"Avatar Aang." Azula looked up to see the old man – whose name was Oyaji, he had told them – coming toward them, followed by the group of girls that called themselves the Kyoshi warriors. Now that she saw them, Azula noticed that her brother wore the same attire as they were, and couldn't help but wonder what happened between him and those girls. Aang bowed to the man.

"We came to thank you for your help today. You will always be welcome at Kyoshi Island." He bowed to the Avatar; his arms – in which he held an article of some sort – were extended toward the boy. "As a sign of our gratitude I wish to offer you these gifts, and humbly request of you to accept them." The young monk didn't know what else to do or say, so he took the gift. It was wrapped in a thin sheet of some kind of paper and heavy in the boy's hands. As he unwinds it he hoped it was nothing expensive or too extravagant.

"Those are antique Dao blades." He explained as he perceived the expressionless look on the young Avatar's face. "They have been preserved here on Kyoshi Island for generations. They once belonged to a great war General Avatar Kyoshi had bested in a fight; seeing you are the current Avatar, I think you should have them." Aang bowed to the man once again.

"Thank you." He said respectfully. Zuko was already eying the blades, Azula noticed. She didn't care too much about the weapons – she rather relied on her bending – and she assumed Aang had accepted them out of mere decency, but that they were too violent for the air bender's savor, so as far as she was concerned, Zuko could have them.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Azula heard Aang's voice. "It's greatly appreciated, but we really should get going." He said. Oyaji nodded in understanding and dismissed the warriors. Azula caught Suki glancing at her brother before she turned away and followed the others.

**…**

Appa flew seemingly faster than usual and Azula couldn't help but grin at the thought that she was responsible for his suddenly increased speed. She let herself drift off into a daze and forget about the troublesome day. Instead, she caught herself thinking of the Fire Nation officer – _Sokka. _She wondered if he had escaped along with his crew. Or was he forgotten about and left behind? She didn't know why it meant something – why it _should _mean anything; he was the enemy, after all – but Azula still wondered if the warrior had made it.

_Sokka. _It really did fit him well.

* * *

Thank you for reading. Please leave a review on your way out ^_^


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